


Face the Music

by Taliax



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Identity Reveal, Episode: s03 Miracle Queen (The Battle of the Miraculous Part 2), Episode: s03 Miracle Queen (The Battle of the Miraculous Part 2) Spoilers, F/M, Humor, Identity Reveal, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Identity Reveal, Minor Juleka Couffaine/Rose Lavillant, One-Sided Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Kagami Tsurugi - Freeform, Romance, but like also serious, kazooka, luka with a kazoo, no i dont know what i was doing either, one-sided luka/marinette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:35:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23993860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taliax/pseuds/Taliax
Summary: Luka's replaced his broken guitar with a kazoo.  Marinette realizes just how important that guitar was to their burgeoning relationship....Maybe she should've made sure no one was around before she ranted about that to Tikki.(Set during/after the end of Miracle Queen)
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Juleka Couffaine & Luka Couffaine
Comments: 130
Kudos: 448
Collections: Tali Brand Reveal Fics





	1. In which Luka doots his kazoo

**Author's Note:**

> No Luka bashing is intended with this fic, but it is lovesquare endgame
> 
> Disclaimer: I love kazoos and if someone tried to woo me with a kazoo I would probably swoon. Rip to Marinette but I’m different  
> Disclaimer 2: I didn't come up with the idea for kazooka, that was bugaboo-n-bananoir on tumblr (source: this post -> https://bugaboo-n-bananoir.tumblr.com/post/190579322661/i-love-luka-but-id-enjoy-his-character-100x-more ). sorry for all the shoutouts lately bud lol you're just an inspiration
> 
> Special thanks to Kim (Boogum) for betareading!

“Are you okay?” Luka asked when Marinette returned from getting ice cream.

It took some effort to pry her gaze away from where Adrien and Kagami were sharing at the other end of the ledge, but she promised herself she wouldn’t be jealous. 

...Or at least, she wouldn’t show it this time. Both of them were her friends, and they deserved to be happy with each other. 

Did that mean she was okay? No, not really. But she didn’t really want to get into that, especially since Luka had already seen her so vulnerable last time.

“So, uh… where’s your guitar?” she asked instead.

“Oh.” Luka blinked, as if surprised his instrument wasn’t there either. “Remember the last time I saw you? When you were… crying in the street?”

She’d really been hoping he forgot about that. It definitely wasn’t her _most_ awkward moment, but Adrien at least tended to ignore the worst of hers. He hadn’t even breathed a word about the whole _constipation_ incident.

But comparing Luka and Adrien wasn’t fair to either of them. 

She shook her head. “Um, what about it?”

“I dropped my bike when I went to hug you. My guitar fell out of the basket and… yeah.” He moved his hands as if to strum a chord, only to slump when they just stroked the air.

“Oh, Luka, I’m so sorry.” She winced. She knew his guitar was his preferred method of expressing himself; she hadn’t intended for him to sacrifice it for her. Was she really that important to him?

“It’s alright. I’ve almost saved up for a new one.” He shrugged.

She couldn’t tell if he was actually alright or if he was just faking. “Well, I’m still sorry.”

“It really is alright. You’re the music that’s been playing for me since we met, anyway.”

She blushed and looked away. Luka had always been more forward, but she really didn’t know how she felt about his love confessions, especially considering…

No, she wasn’t going to glance back towards Adrien. (Not that she could do that subtly, with all their classmates packed between them.)

But the point was, she couldn’t return Luka’s confession while her heart still hung somewhere in the balance. She could try to move on—she _should_ try to move on—but no matter what Luka said, she didn’t want him to feel stuck as a second choice.

“Well, um… thanks, I guess.” 

She took a bite of her raspberry ice cream to fill the awkward silence. Normally his guitar did that. Ivan’s hand drum sort of helped, but it was too far away (and too sporadic) for her to pretend she was focused on his music.

“I guess you can’t play that song for me now,” she added when he didn’t speak up. It was too bad, because she thought she might actually want to hear it, if only to give them something to connect over.

Had she really listened to his music that often? It was painfully obvious now that his guitar was absent.

“Were you ready to hear it?” he asked. “I still can, if you’d like.”

Her head tilted, her eyebrows scrunching together. “But you don’t have your guitar. Unless you’re going to borrow Ivan’s drum.”

He chuckled a little at that. “I’ve got something else.”

His hand reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out…

“Is that a kazoo?” 

Was this a joke? Was he playing a joke on her? He’d never shown that much of a sense of humor before. If Juleka hadn’t been in the middle of the group sharing ice cream with Rose, Marinette would’ve flagged her down for help.

“Yep. Juleka got it for me as a replacement present, you know, until I can pay for my new guitar.”

“Oh.” She forced a grin. “That’s… sweet of her.”

So no help from Juleka then. Maybe this wasn’t such a big deal. Maybe Luka would be an amazing kazoo player, and sweep her off her feet with his buzzing melody and help her forget all about Adrien and— 

Yeah, even her normally-vivid daydream couldn’t paint that picture.

“It really is. She’s the best.” He smiled. She hadn’t heard him talk about Juleka often, honestly. It was a little weird to remember that he was her friend’s older brother, but Juleka hadn’t seemed to mind Luka showing an interest in her. 

Well, unless the kazoo was more of a warning than a present. But that was branching into conspiracy theory territory.

“Are you going to play it, then?” she asked before she could lose her nerve. Maybe hearing the melody, even if just on the kazoo, would give her the answers her heart was looking for.

“Right.” He nodded and raised the blue piece of plastic to his lips.

She didn’t wince at the first high-pitched buzz. She might have just… cringed a little. Kazoos weren’t really meant to be played at close distance—at least that’s what she assumed, because could anyone really want to unironically listen to _that?_

The melody was… hard to pick out with all the screeching. She tried to smile through it—he’d written this for _her,_ and it wasn’t really _meant_ to be played on the kazoo—but then Marc and Nathaniel looked up in shock-slash-horror, and Mylene just about fumbled her ice cream into the river, and Juleka let out an uncharacteristically loud cackle.

Luka’s playing petered out with a sad _doot doot._ He still looked up at her expectantly.

And because he was staring at her, of course the rest of their group did too. Including Adrien, the green mint of his ice cream still staining his lower lip.

“Um… that was…” Marinette’s face burned as she sprung to her feet. “W-well! Look at that I have to go—buy a birthday present for my grandpa’s mouse!” Wait, had she used that one before? It didn’t matter, her legs were already wooshing her away, leaving only the cherry from the top of her ice cream behind.

She hurriedly shoved the rest of her ice cream into her mouth to cool her burning face. That was… probably an overreaction. Luka had just tried to play her a song. It wasn’t her that everyone else was laughing at.

A horrible feeling settled in the pit of her stomach, and she was pretty sure it wasn’t just the odd mix of raspberry and cotton candy ice cream. She should’ve stayed to cheer him up, right? 

“Tikki, what’s _wrong_ with me?” She groaned, dropping her forehead against the side of the alley. “Why did I run away like that? I probably made Luka hate me!”

The kwami flew out from her purse. “I don’t think he _can_ hate you, Marinette. He still liked you even when he knew you were in love with Adrien.”

“For _some_ reason.” She sighed.

“Do you want him to like you?” Tikki prodded gently.

“I don’t… I don’t know.” She bonked her head against the wall again. Ow. “He likes me, and he’s nice, and we… have absolutely nothing in common.”

There. She admitted it. They both liked Jagged Stone, but _lots_ of people liked Jagged Stone.

(Adrien liked Jagged Stone. He’d asked for her autograph, and she’d just about melted.)

What she felt with Luka was nothing like that. It was nervous usually, until he started playing his guitar. The chords, if simple, were still soothing.

“Did I just think he made me comfortable because he played the guitar? Am I really that shallow?”

“Of course you aren’t.” Tikki rubbed her cheek to hers. “A boy liked you, and it sounds like you liked him at least a little bit. Even if it was _mostly_ because he played guitar.”

Marinette groaned.

“But now he plays the _kazoo_ and I don’t want to hear his song! And I really can’t think of anything else we have to talk about. And I won’t go on dates with him and move on from Adrien and I’ll end up old and alone with a tarantula instead of a hamster and—”

“Marinette, you know that’s not going to happen.” Tikki patted her face again. “There are plenty of other boys besides Adrien and Luka. And you don’t _have_ to move on with a boy. You have plenty of time to just be you. Maybe that’s for the best, with you being the guardian now.”

“Don’t remind me.” She squeezed her eyes shut. She wished she had _someone_ to rely on as the guardian. Luka had been there that one time when she couldn’t take it anymore, but she couldn’t actually _tell_ him anything. If only she could talk to…

“Chat Noir,” she whispered, eyes going wide.

“What?” 

She paced back and forth across the width of the alley. “I want to talk to Chat. I can do that now, can’t I? I’m the guardian. No, but Master Fu did what he did for a reason. I can’t go sharing important secrets. But if Fu _did_ tell us more maybe we could’ve protected him better.”

“Um, Marinette—” 

“Either way he’s gone and I don’t know what to do, Tikki! He didn’t finish teaching me everything and here I am worried because of a boy playing the _kazoo!”_

She spun, breaths coming too quickly, hoping to hear Tikki’s words of wisdom to help her calm down.

Instead, she came face to face with Adrien. Adrien, whose eyes were practically bugging out of his head. A cute smear of ice cream still clung to his parted lips. That was easier to focus on than the fact that he’d almost certainly heard every word she said to Tikki.

His mouth opened and closed again. “Uh.”

“Oh no.”

“You’re…!”

“No, no, of course I’m not!” She waved her arms frantically. Tikki’d had the sense to dive back into her purse, but the damage was already done.

“You’re Ladybug,” he breathed. “It’s you. Of course it’s you.”

Tears pricked her eyes. One day into being the guardian, and she’d already let someone figure out her secret identity! And it was _Adrien,_ and while she thought he could keep a secret, she couldn’t ignore the incident with the beret, and if he told anyone and that awful future happened— 

“Marinette, hey, hey, it’s alright.” He stepped towards her, too close, not close enough. “I’m not going to tell anyone. I swear. I—I didn’t mean to. I just wanted to make sure you were okay, and then I heard and I can’t _un_ hear and—please don’t be mad.”

He looked down at her with such a distraught expression, she couldn’t imagine him ever breaking that oath.

“I’m not mad at you, Adrien.” She bit her lip and looked down, afraid she might actually start crying if she had to see his pain any longer. Which was ridiculous, because it was _her_ identity that was compromised. “You were just trying to help, and—and it’s my fault for not being careful enough.”

Her voice choked. His arm reached towards her, hesitated, fell back to his side. Of course he wouldn’t pull her into the hug that she craved. He was dating Kagami now; it was surprising enough that he’d left her just to come make sure she was alright. He really was a wonderful friend.

Maybe that was all she needed right now.

“It’s not your fault, my—Marinette.” He swallowed. “It could’ve happened to either of us.”

“Yes, but it’s not a big deal if someone finds out you once used the snake miraculous. Nearly all of the other heroes were compromised yesterday, anyway.”

Her fault again. She was back to square one, just her and Chat Noir against the world… and possibly Adrien too. He _hadn’t_ been revealed yesterday. Maybe it would be worth it to give him a miraculous again?

He laughed awkwardly. “Yeah. Of course.”

“So… yeah.” She nodded. “I’m just going to. Go home now.”

Where she could cry in peace and Tikki could lecture her and she could find someone else to pass off the miracle box to because _clearly_ she wasn’t ready, only there was no one else who could possibly do it except _maybe_ Chat Noir, and he didn’t deserve that kind of pressure either, and— 

“Marinette, wait.” 

This time Adrien did grab her hand. She did her best to control her flush.

“I know you didn’t want me to know, but… I’m still your friend, okay? You can tell me anything. Especially now, if you need someone to lean on…”

She did. _Oh,_ she did, and any other day she would leap headfirst into that offer.

But all she could think of now was Adrien smiling softly as he wiped ice cream from Kagami’s cheek. It wasn’t like he couldn’t still be her friend when he was dating someone else, but she wasn’t sure her heart could take trusting him with all of her secrets except the one she’d actually _wanted_ to tell.

She loved him. Even now, knowing he had just become a threat to her identity, she loved him.

And it was too late to say it.

“Thank you, but I’d actually rather talk to Chat Noir right now. I hope you’ll understand.”

He blinked and opened his mouth before shaking his head. “Right. Of course. I’m glad you trust him.”

“I do.” She looked towards the sliver of sky above the alley as hope blossomed in her. She _did_ trust Chat. He would be able to help her through this, just like he’d supported her during Miracle Queen’s short reign. “I wish he’d been the first to know my identity, but if anyone else had to… I’m glad it’s you, you know. I lo—I trust you too.”

Really? _Now_ she almost said it? He didn’t seem to notice, though. His expression softened into a smile.

“Thank you, Marinette. That means a lot to me.”

She smiled back, palm braced against the alley wall to make up for the weakness in her knees.

“Oh, um—is Luka alright?” She barely remembered to ask. It was probably the least of her worries, but it was still worth checking. “I didn’t mean to hurt his feelings. The whole kazoo thing was just—I was so embarrassed and I ran away without thinking. He was just trying to be nice, and I didn’t have the heart to tell him that I didn’t like it.”

“You never seemed to have a problem telling that to Chat Noir,” he said. Was that a hint of… jealousy she detected in his voice? No way; she had to be imagining that.

“That’s because I know Chat Noir. He knows I don’t return his feelings…” she trailed off, blinking at the ground.

Chat had been the first person she wanted to talk to when she was upset. The one who always supported her, who knew all her weaknesses and flaws and still looked at her like she’d hung the moon in the sky. Who wouldn’t hesitate to risk everything for her, who trusted her even when she was wrong but was always, always there to make things right. 

He was the one who called her his Lady. He was the one whose hug felt like home. 

“Marinette?” Adrien asked.

“Oh,” she breathed.

_“Oh?”_

She looked up and met his eyes, and before she knew it, she was confessing to the wrong crush.

“I think I’m in love with Chat Noir.”


	2. In which Juleka speaks her mind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again trying to be nicer to Luka in this chapter, but your mileage may vary there. If you really really love Luka and can’t stand his sister teasing him, you may not enjoy this.
> 
> Thanks to my friends Emsy and Janai and Crunchy for your help with this chapter!
> 
> Oh, and you may have noticed that this is chapter 2/3. There should only be one chapter after this one.

Adrien couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t _think._ He couldn’t form a sentence, much less wave goodbye as Marinette transformed into Ladybug before his eyes. And then she swung out of the alley, a red-and-black blur cresting the rooftops.

“Kid?” Plagg flew out of his shirt pocket. “Don’t just stand there. It smells gross in this alley, even to me.”

That was Plagg’s nicer way of saying _snap out of it._ But he couldn’t because _Marinette was Ladybug—_ and _she was in love with him!_

Or at least, she thought so. Which was close enough for him.

“I think I’m just going to. Stand here,” he told his kwami. Because moving meant going back to his friends, which meant going back to _Kagami,_ and finishing a date he’d originally been excited about but now made him sick to his stomach. How could he move on with Kagami when Marinette had just confessed to him? 

But how could he break Kagami’s heart when he’d finally given her a chance?

“I really messed up,” he murmured, slumping against the alley wall. Something black stained his white overshirt shirt, but he didn’t care. Father lecturing him about caring for his clothes was a distant worry. “What do I do, Plagg? I care about Kagami and Marinette both so much. I’d never want to hurt either of them.”

“Don’t you break hearts all the time? Sounds like an occupational hazard of being your dad’s clothing hanger.”

“This is _different,_ Plagg. These are my friends!” He dropped his head in his hands. Of course Plagg couldn’t give him good advice. All he cared about was _cheese._

But his kwami did nestle in Adrien’s hair, purring softly as he spoke.

“I’m sorry, kid. I guess it’s an occupational hazard of having me around, too. Destruction and bad luck and all that.”

“You know I’d never blame you, Plagg.” He reached up to scratch between Plagg’s ears. “I had plenty of bad luck before you came along, anyway.”

“Adrien…”

“It’s alright.” He forced a smile, not that Plagg could see from his angle. “I’ll… figure something out. I just need more time.”

His kwami rubbed his cheek against the top of Adrien’s head. “You’re still young, kid. Some of my favorite cheeses are older than you. Maybe you just need some time to age like a perfect Gouda.”

He laughed a little at that. “Long as I don’t end up smelling that bad by the end of this.”

He stood up and brushed himself off, which didn’t do much for the black stains, but made him feel just a little better.

Plagg flew down to hover in front of his face. “You’ve got this, Adrien. You’re gonna be the finest cheese in the world.”

“Thanks, Plagg.” That was probably the nicest thing his kwami had ever said.

They shared a fistbump, and then Adrien went back to face the music.

XXX

“You know I didn’t mean for you to actually play that for her, right?” Juleka mumbled as she sat by her brother’s side, legs dangling off the edge of the riverside. She felt a little bad for laughing earlier, but how was she supposed to know he was actually going to play his love song on a _kazoo?_

“I know,” he sighed. “I just thought… nevermind. I just thought she might finally give me a chance, since Adrien…”

He stared off at where Adrien had gone chasing after Marinette. If he’d ever bothered to ask Juleka _her_ opinion, he would’ve known Marinette wouldn’t change her mind so easily. They’d only been trying to get Adrien and Marinette together for months. 

Maybe it was a good thing Luka had played that kazoo. She didn’t know what she would’ve done if her brother started dating one of her friends. Maybe it was none of her business, but still… it was weird.

“You would really be content as someone’s second choice?” Kagami’s arms folded, her back rod-straight. Juleka didn’t know her well, but she couldn’t be happy her date had run off, either.

Luka shrugged. “Marinette is an amazing girl. I’d be honored to be her choice at all.”

Juleka stifled a gag.

Kagami’s eyes narrowed. “The person who chooses me must be decisive. By waiting, you are only setting yourself up for disappointment.”

Her gaze drifted down the ice cream Adrien had left in her hand, and her voice softened. “Trust me.”

“Kagami… I’m sure Adrien didn’t mean to,” Rose said with a hand on her shoulder.

“I know he didn’t.” Kagami squared her shoulders.

From her spot in the middle of their group of friends, Juleka had watched it happen. Marinette fleeing across the street. Adrien passing the ice cream off to Kagami before running after. Even Alya, Marinette’s best friend, hadn’t been that fast. Unless Alya had purposely let Adrien follow first, which wouldn’t surprise her.

About half of their friends had left in the middle of the drama, so it was only Luka, Kagami, herself and Rose, and Alya and Nino left at the riverside. Alya was in hushed conversation with Nino, their ice cream forgotten.

Juleka just hoped that there wouldn’t be hard feelings between her brother and her friend at the end of all this. Especially not over something she’d intended as a joke. But Luka wasn’t one to hold grudges, so it would probably blow over quickly. She didn’t see him getting akumatized, at least.

“Do you think they’re coming back?” Luka asked after a long moment of silence. “I’d like to apologize to Marinette for embarrassing her.”

Personally, Juleka thought he embarrassed himself more than anything, but even now he was too caught up with Marinette. She loved her brother, but she knew that he wouldn’t be the best choice for her friend. 

Maybe it was about time she said it.

“Listen, Luka—”

“They’re coming!” Rose pointed across the street. “Oh—well, Adrien’s coming. Where’s Marinette?”

Luka sprung to his feet. “I hope she’s alright.”

“Me too,” Alya said, and Nino nodded.

Marinette was prone to freak-outs, but Juleka figured she’d be fine. She’d never gotten too worked up over her brother’s advances before. Now, whatever Adrien had said to her, on the other hand…

Well, she didn’t see any signs of an akumatization yet.

“Hey guys.” Adrien gave a strained smile. “I didn’t miss too much, did I? Where’s Mylene and Ivan, and Max and Alix? And Marc and Nathaniel?”

“They left,” Kagami replied tersely. 

“Is Marinette okay?” Luka jumped in before Adrien could respond.

“Oh, yeah! Marinette’s great! She just, uh…” His hands floundered for a moment. “Your kazoo noises sounded like bees! You know. From yesterday? She’s still just a little bit shaken up about that.”

“Oh.” Luka’s face fell. He stared at the kazoo in his hand. “I’m really sorry.”

Juleka wasn’t sure if this was Adrien’s odd attempt at sparing Luka’s feelings, or if it was the truth. If it was a lie, it at least made more sense than Marinette’s “buying a present for her grandpa’s mice.”

“It’s okay! She’s not mad at you. She said she hoped she didn’t hurt your feelings.”

“It’s alright. I wish she liked my song, but…” He shrugged. “I’ll just wait until I get a new guitar. It’s no big deal.”

Kagami shook her head. “You’re a fool, Luka Couffaine.”

“That’s a _little_ harsh, don’t you think?” Rose frowned. 

Juleka agreed, but at the same time couldn’t help being impressed with how clearly Kagami expressed herself. 

Luka didn’t seem offended anyway. “I can be patient. It’s fine, really.”

“Then you will soon find your opportunity slipped through your fingers.” Her words seemed directed at Luka, but her eyes stayed trained on Adrien. “Isn’t that right?”

“Kagami…” He reached out to her, but his arm quickly dropped back to his side.

“Marinette is my friend too, you know. I could have gone with you to check on her.” She looked into Adrien’s eyes, and Juleka felt like she was intruding. It was one of the few times she hoped she actually was invisible.

His head fell. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I’m just… I think I’m still not ready. I hope you can forgive me.”

“I cannot expect you to change the way you feel.” Kagami’s voice was stiff. “I would rather us remain friends than force a relationship you are not invested in.”

“I really did want to try.” He rubbed his arm, slumping a little.

“Should we go?” Rose whispered to Juleka, preventing her from hearing what he said next.

She nodded. Alya seemed to have made the same decision, leaving over the bridge with her phone pressed to her ear. Nino hung back, probably waiting to make sure Adrien would be alright after what looked like an inevitable breakup. If they were dating in the first place? Juleka wasn’t sure.

“Come on.” She tugged on her brother’s hood. “Let’s go… I don’t know, get crepes or something.” 

That might cheer him up a little. They could split one, and he could eat all the strawberries out of it, and she could eat all the bananas, and Rose could get the chocolate one all to herself. It wasn’t quite as good an idea as the kazoo had been, but considering how that backfired, she didn’t plan on getting him an instrument again any time soon.

“Hold on.” His hand tightened around the kazoo, and he stepped up to where Adrien and Kagami were still… not arguing, but definitely not happy either. “Adrien.”

Adrien paused and turned around, his brow creased in confusion.

“I wish you luck, Adrien,” Kagami whispered to his back before striding off down the street, her head held high. 

_Wow._ That was some awesome self-respect. Juleka really should ask her for pointers on speaking her mind sometime.

Adrien sighed. “What is it, Luka?”

“I wanted you to have this. Maybe Marinette would appreciate it coming from you.”

He held out the kazoo, and Juleka wanted to groan. Marinette probably wouldn’t appreciate a kazoo ballad from _anyone._ But Marinette was pretty obsessed with Adrien, so it was possible.

“Um… thanks.” He forced a smile before pocketing the plastic instrument.

He and Nino left in the opposite direction of Juleka, Luka, and Rose.

“Regifting a present with your spit on it. Nice,” Juleka said later when the three of them were walking to the crepe stand.

“Why did you do that, Luka?” Rose asked.

“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “It just felt… right.”

“You want him to play Marinette a melody and sweep her off her feet?” Juleka smirked. 

“I mean, if he did, I’d understand. But I really just… maybe Kagami had a point. It’s not the end of the world if Marinette doesn’t like me back, so maybe I never deserved her anyway.”

“I don’t think that’s what she meant.” Rose frowned.

Juleka sighed. She really didn’t want to have this conversation with her brother, but she doubted she could avoid it forever, either.

“I decided I wanted to be with her, but she didn’t decide back. Is it that weird for me to keep waiting?”

“Yes,” she deadpanned.

_“Jules!”_

“What? He asked.” 

At her response, he sadly tried to strum his nonexistent guitar again. She loved her brother, but sometimes he was just so _weird._

“I think it’s sweet, but… I mean, Marinette _loves_ Adrien,” Rose said. “Imagine if Operation Secret Garden and everything else went to waste! We’ve tried to get them together…” She counted on her fingers. “...five hundred eighty two times!”

Luka blinked. “Wow. But even after all that, they still aren’t together?”

“Well, none of our plans go exactly right. Marinette can be kiiiind of a spaz when it comes to him. Even after I gave her the best pep talk and bet my unicorn on her too!”

“I still think we should have kidnapped Kagami,” Juleka murmured. Or just locked Marinette and Adrien together, like what Alya said happened to her and Nino.

“She doesn’t spaz out too much around me. It’s too bad; it’s kind of cute, actually.” Luka smiled. “Of course, she’s cuter when she loses herself in our music. She gets this look on her face, and I just want to...”

Juleka definitely _did_ gag that time. Maybe it was time to take a page out of Kagami’s book, and just say what she thought.

“I know Rose and I are both lesbians, but we’re not going to talk about our cute friends with you. _That’s_ weird.”

Luka startled. “It is?”

Rose tried to force a smile. “You’re Juleka’s older brother. It’s pretty weird.”

“Oh. Huh.”

Juleka just shook her head and kept walking.

Maybe she should’ve let her friends keep thinking she was an only child.


	3. In which Adrien loses one of his nine lives

Adrien vaulted across the rooftops, feeling the wind through his hair, the moonlight energizing each leap.

Ladybug was Marinette.

Marinette was in love with Chat Noir.

Marinette was in love with _him._

It had been impossible to stay trapped inside knowing that. Plagg had gotten so fed up with his pacing that he actually _asked_ Adrien to transform.

But there hadn’t been any messages on his baton. He thought for sure Marinette would want to talk to him. She’d _said_ she wanted to talk to him.

So where was she?

He stumbled to a halt so he could check his baton again. Still no messages. It was tempting to just stop by her house, but “Chat” wasn’t supposed to know her identity yet, and he doubted he could be subtle enough not to give it away.

Heck, he doubted he could talk to her without throwing his arms around her neck and kissing her.

_Stop that._ He shook his head. He’d just told Kagami he wasn’t ready for a relationship. And he’d found out about Marinette and Ladybug so fast, he really shouldn’t go rushing headfirst into things.

Besides, what if she didn’t like him once she found out he was Adrien? She’d always been so awkward around him…

A beep sounded from his baton before he could catastrophize too much. _Ladybug._

The message was only a single word. _Hey._ Yet it still set his heart racing.

_Hey yourself,_ he texted back. _What’s up?_

_That was fast. Are you out? Are you okay?_

He smiled. _I’m fine._ _But_ I’d be better if you were out here with me

_Be there in 5_

Good. That would give him time to calm his nerves, plan how he could explain his identity in a way that was least likely to upset her.

Then he heard the familiar _thwip_ of Ladybug’s yo-yo. He yelped when she landed mere centimeters from him.

“I thought you meant five minutes, not five seconds!” He said, clutching his hand to his heart. “I think you shaved off one of my nine lives.”

“S-sorry.” She hooked her yo-yo back at her hip. Her blue eyes dodged his, skimming the shingles beneath his feet. “I can leave and come back, o-or—no, that’s _stupid,_ none of the ways I planned this had me scaring you half to death…”

She trailed off into muttering to herself, tugging at her pigtails, so _Marinette_ that he couldn’t imagine not recognizing her. Of course, normally Ladybug wasn’t quite so frantic around Chat Noir. Maybe she was still shaken from yesterday’s akuma fight and from “Adrien” learning her identity.

“Technically I would’ve only been scared one-ninth to death,” he joked, hoping to bring a smile back to her face.

She said she loved him. She hadn’t changed her mind already, had she? Maybe she thought Luka wasn’t so bad after all, or maybe Adrien’s jokes weren’t funny enough.

But she laughed. High-pitched and strained, but she did.

“I’m so sorry, kitty. I’m not—can I start over?”

“Of course.” He grinned and went back to standing in the same position he had before she startled him. “Where’s Ladybug? Will she ever come and end my sorrows with her miraculous presence?”

This time her laugh sounded more natural. “I didn’t think alley cats knew that many big words.”

“Maybe I’m an aristocat now.” He winked. Flirting with her still felt easy as breathing, despite the way his heart thudded harder against his ribs. It was who they were. Chat Noir and Ladybug. Adrien and Marinette.

They were going to be okay. He knew it.

“You wish.” She stepped forward to flick his bell, but her cheeks were as red as her mask. Her fingers ended up tangling together before she could touch him. “I-I can’t just play around tonight. I wasn’t sure how to tell you, but… someone found out my identity.”

She said it quickly, while peering up through her lashes. Like expecting a rebuke.

Adrien probably should’ve faked surprise, but he’d never been good at lying to his Lady. 

He smiled, slowly putting his arms around her, giving her plenty of time to push him back if she wanted. But she just crumbled into his embrace, holding him as tightly as she had underwater yesterday.

If he could even have just one of her hugs a day, he could die happy.

“You’re not upset?” Her voice came out shaky near his ear.

“Come on, little bug, you know me better than that.” It took all his self-control not to turn and press a kiss to her cheek. “I know you didn’t mean to. And I know that whatever happened, we can face it together.”

For a few heartbeats, she was silent. 

“Thank you, Chat,” she finally whispered into his neck. “I trust the boy who found out my identity. I just thought you might be… well, I always wanted you to know first.”

The irony almost made him laugh. This would all be so much easier if he could just reveal himself already.

“That means the world to me,” he said, pulling back just enough to look into her eyes. They glistened with unshed tears. How long had she been holding back, cracking under the pressure that just kept pressing down on her? “Do you think, maybe… it’s time we both stopped keeping secrets? If someone already knows…”

“I-I don’t know.” She bit her lip. “I’m the guardian now, not just Ladybug.”

“Then isn’t it extra important that we know each other? If something happened to you—not that it will!—no one would know about the miracle box. And since you’re the guardian, shouldn’t you know who I am? You know, for safety purposes.” 

She giggled at his grin. “It sounds like you’ve got an ulterior motive here.”

He shrugged unrepentantly. “Ulterior mo _tives_. Plural. But I really think it would be best, too. We need each other more than ever, my Lady. Master Fu is gone. No one is going to take our miraculouses.”

He’d been thinking about this today, in between freaking out that Marinette was Ladybug. He wanted so badly to be there for her, the way he couldn’t as just Chat to Ladybug, or just Adrien to Marinette. 

“You’re right. No matter what happens, I’d rather face it with you.”

“And then we can over each other as civilians, and—wait. Did you just say I’m right?”

A smile broke out across her face. “Yeah, kitty. Don’t expect me to say it again.”

“Then—you want to know who I am? Really?”

_“Really._ I think you need to get your ears checked.” She reached up to flick the fake ears on top of his head. “So, um… do you want to go first, or should I?”

“O-okay! I mean, I will!” He beamed. This was happening! His Lady wanted to know who he was! 

A brief moment of panic punctured his giddiness. She _thought_ she was in love with Chat, she’d said. What if knowing he was Adrien shook that uncertain realization? After all, she’d been quick to turn down Luka today, and that was someone she’d _definitely_ liked. 

“Chat?” Her head tilted. “It’s okay if you’re nervous, or not ready.”

He shook his head. He was being ridiculous; if Marinette loved Chat Noir, then she would love Adrien too. He was still _him._

Still, his hand hovered over the kazoo in his pocket. 

_“I wanted you to have this. Maybe Marinette would appreciate it coming from you.”_

He’d said that about Adrien, not Chat Noir. Did Luka know something Adrien didn’t?

“I’m purrfectly ready, my Lady.” He grinned. “I just have one other thing I’d like to do first.”

Her brow furrowed. “Okayyyy…”

He unzipped his pocket and pulled out the kazoo. 

Marinette’s eyes practically bugged out of her head.

_“Luka?”_

He’d been about to bring the kazoo to his lips, but he broke off laughing.

“Oh my gosh, please tell me this is a nightmare.” She covered her face with her hands, but peaked out between the slots of her fingers. “Or the universe is just playing a really sick joke… no, that’s _definitely_ his kazoo. But that doesn’t make any sense! You’re _you_ and Luka is…” She waved a hand vaguely before groaning.

“Ladybug, wait, I’m sorry.” He dropped the kazoo and held up his empty hands. “It was just a joke, I didn’t mean to upset you. I should’ve learned my lesson the first time.” He winced. This wasn’t _quite_ as bad as the time he pretended to be a statue, but still. Marinette had been through enough without him teasing her on top of it.

“So you _are_ Luka? And you—do you already know who I am?”

“No! I mean, yes? I’m not Luka—sorry if that’s a let down—but I, um, did find out who you are.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry. I should’ve just told you, but then you’d know who _I_ was and I didn’t know if you wanted to and—”

“Hey, hey, it’s okay.” She placed a hand on his arm, and he stilled instantly. “No, I never expected you to be Luka. Except for those ten seconds with the kazoo. I think you shaved off one of _my_ nine lives.”

He grinned sheepishly.

“But if you know about Luka and my identity...” Her eyes widened. “Adrien?”

He laughed nervously. “Surprise?”

“That…” she took a deep breath and let it out. He couldn’t read her expression. Was she upset? Relieved? Confused? “That makes more sense. Still weird, but I can see it.”

“You… you can?” He tried to release his own held breath. She wasn’t mad. That was good enough for now.

“Of course.” Her laugh shook. “Of course I fell for you again. Of _course_ I’d be that stupid.”

“Stupid—wait, what? My Lady!”

He caught her hand as she’d turned away. Had he read everything wrong? And why would she say…

“What do you mean, you fell for me _again?”_ he asked quietly.

She shook her head, her back still to him. “I’m sorry. It’s not fair of me to tell you now. But I already did, didn’t I? Just—don’t worry about it. I want you to be happy, and—and I hope we can still be friends, and that it won’t be awkward having me as your partner—”

“Marinette, please!” He squeezed her hand in both of his, begging her to turn around. “I love you. If there’s even a _chance_ you love me back, please, don’t—don’t run away from me.”

He must have sounded pathetic, his voice cracking, tears clogging his throat. But nothing she was saying made _sense_ and they were so _close._ They knew each other. They _loved each other._ So what was the _problem?_

Over her shoulder, he caught her eyes glistening with tears. Then slowly she turned back to him.

“You… but I thought… what about Kagami?”

He winced. “She wasn’t happy, but I told her the truth. That I couldn’t be with her when my heart still belonged to someone else.”

“Your heart…” She pointed to herself with her free hand before whispering, _“Me?”_

He laughed. She was just so _cute,_ with hope and disbelief mixing across her face. 

“Always, bugaboo.”

She stepped forward, slipping her hand from his to instead throw her arms around him. “You dork,” she whispered affectionately.

He shivered as he held her around her waist. Two hugs in one day. She was going to melt him to putty at this rate. He could smell the flowery shampoo in her hair, feel her breath tickle his neck.

“So, um, does this mean you, um, you like me…?” He trailed off.

She smiled. “If you’re really Adrien, you know the answer to that.”

“Just checking.” His thumb caressed the edge of her shoulderblade.

“And for the record, I was in love with Adrien before I ever fell for Chat Noir. I feel kind of silly for not seeing it.”

He pulled back in surprise. “Really? But I thought you—you were always so nervous around me!”

“Because I liked you so much my head just about fell off every time I tried to get out a sentence around you. Honestly, I’m surprised I’m not freaking out more right now.” 

“I could always play that kazoo if you really want to freak out,” he joked, and she leveled a stare at him.

Then she kicked the plastic instrument off the roof.

He nearly doubled over laughing. “Well, that answers that question.”

“Just stick to what you’re good at, kitty. Like whatever you were doing with my back.” Her face was bright red as she said it, but she didn’t hesitate to step back into his arms.

He chuckled and began rubbing her shoulderblade again. 

“I think I can live with that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading!


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